Picture frame structure



Aug 28, 1934. R. STERN PICTURE FRAME STRUCTURE Filed April 13, 1934 Patented Aug. 28, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

This invention relates to framing structures and more particularly to picture frames and the like peculiarly designed'to reduce the cost of material and labor in their 5-' increase their general efiiciency.

Heretofore the usual method of framing pictures has been to make a frame having a'single comparatively deep rabbet or groove'around the inner edge of the molding toreceive a glass and picture. A suitable picture backing, which is usually of cardboard, is then laid in this rabbet over the picture, and nails or brads are driveninto the side wall of the'rabbeted groove to hold the backing, picture, and glass in place. Such a method presents a number of objections in that the structure is unsightly, the nails interfere with the dusting and cleaning of the back, and the backing is usually insuificiently supported by the brads and permits the picture to buckle or'wrinkle to a greater or less extent, and the driving of the nails or brads requires considerable time andskill and addsmaterially to the expense.-

In some cases a paper sheet is placed over the entire back and secured by gluing the edges to 251the back of the picture molding. However, this paper sheet is necessarily spacedfrom the picture" backing to provide room for the nails therebetween and the paper is easily torn and greatcare must be used in handling the completed structure; The present invention successfully overcomes the above noted objections to prior structures 'and presents many new and novel advantages.

The present invention not only reduces the expense of manufacture and enables the device to .be assembled by automatic machinery, but also provides a much more rigid structure with a smooth dustproof backing over the entire device which cannot be punctured or torn in ordinary use.

40" Among the important features of this invention are the facilitation'of assembly operations result ing in a definite increase in production; increased stability and positive frame support is made possible; a reduction in weight of the complete 5 framed structure is provided by a 'reduction in the thickness of the frame molding; and a-gen-- erous savinginraw material is effected thereby; The improvements incorporated in a structure made accordance with the present invention 50. materially increase the sales Vallie'of the product.

The finished product provides a completely;

sealed rigid unit having asmooth, flush, dust proof back and eliminates all air space between the-component parts.' The appearance of the; finished product is greatly improved and a moreconstruction and to valuable item may be manufactured at a low cost.

Afurther object is the provision of a structure whichmay be easily and cheaply assembled by unskilled labor without the use of hammer and nails adjacent the glass, thereby substantially eliminating all breakage of glass.

' It is also an object to provide a framed structure which will becheap to manufacture, easy to assemble and more rigid after assembly'than the usual'framed structure. .The 'structure'is pe-, culiarly adapted for quantity production and may be easily andefiiciently, assembled by the usejof automatic'machinery when desired. y j

. It is an objectto provide a picture frame structure inwhich the glass and picture may be p'erv- 7 manently and rigidly secured therein, and in which the entire back of the structure may be com-. pletely closed and made dustproof in a manner to materially. strengthen" the entire device and to prevent tearing or rupturing of the-backing sheet.

The invention also provides a structure which may be stacked or stored one on top of theother in a compact manner without material injury to any of the parts. y l I Further objects and advantages will be appare'nt' from the specifications and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1' is a perspective view in transverse section through a picture frame structure and illustrates one embodiment of the invention.

' Fig.2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the back of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, with'a portion of the. paper backing raised for purposes of illustration.

Fig. 3' is a transverse section through one of the side pieces or moldings. j I Y i Referring tothe drawing in detail, the embodi-1 ment illustrated comprises a rectangular picture frame which may be made up of side pieces 1 and similar end pieces. For purposes of this disclo-. sure,' theterm side pieces is intended as a broad tjerm covering end pieces aswell, which are used to make. up the jusu'al frame. It wilLofcO'urse, be understood that shapes other than rectangular maybe made if desired without departing from' the spirit of theinvention. n V

The side and-end pieces 1 comprise the usual comparatively narrowmoldings having an inner groove or r'abbet 2providing a step or shoulder 3 limiting the size of'a glass and picture-or other" suitable display object to be supported therein. A second groove or rabbet 4 is arranged to receive a suitable picturebacking and'provides a second step or shoulder '5 limiting the size of the picture backing. These two grooves provide what may be called a stepped recess extending around the inner back edge of the frame. A glass 6 orother suitable sheet of transparent material is seated in the groove 2 and the picture or other object 7 to be displayed through the glass is supported thereon. The glass and picture are preferably of the same size and fit snugly in the groove 2, and their combined thickness is the sameas the height of the step or shoulder 3,whereby the backof the picture is flush with the floor of the second rabbet or groove 4. The glass may be dispensed with if desired but in any case the groove 2 is completely. filled by the picture or display object so that it is flush with the floor of the groove 4. a

After the glass and picture have been inserted in the frame, a picture backing sheet 8, which is preferably of semi-rigid materialsuch as straw 'board or cardboard, is inserted in the second rabbet or groove 4 for retaining the glass and picture in position.

' The picture backing 8 is of substantially the same thicknesses the heightof the "shoulder'5 thereby bringing the surfacefiush with the back of the frame molding. The picture backing member'B is preferablysecured in 'place'by suitable staples -9 extending therethrough and into the frame molding as illustrated, and, as the picture picture having a smooth flushback.

backing material 8 may be comparatively soft, the staples or other suitable fasteners may be pressed into the material in such a manner that they do notextend materially above the surface of. the

backing 8. The staples 9 are preferably spaced around the frame substantially as indicated in Fig.2, and the structure then presents aframed The frames are usually made up of four or more miteredor beveled strips of molding and may be secured together at the corners by'suitable nails or brads 10. A sheet 11 'of comparatively thin paper is then glued over the entire back of bled and all ofthe parts will be securely'held together in such a manner that the frame cannot} the "structure adhering to theentiresurface of the picture backing 8 andto the exposed portions of the frame moldings 1. By this method a very rigid structure may be easily and quickly assembecome loosened; the mitered joints are held snugly together. without glue; and the glass and picture will be snugly secured in place.

In the usual picture frame structure a single deep rabbet is commonly used and the glass and picture are inserted therein and then secured by,

brads. The rabbet must be sufficiently deep to allow the brads or nails to be driven into the side wall of the rabbet molding, and it is commonpractice to then apply glue to the exposed back surface of ,themolding andsecurejal'sheet of paper over the'entire'back. 'Howeventhis paper is only se- .cured'to a comparatively small 'surface ofthe molding, and there is a considerable air space between the picture and the paper backing in which the nails'are enclosed. The paper backing,

therefore, is easily torn, and, in any case, adds, very. little to the strengthand rigidity of'the structure.

" In such usual structuressubstantiallythe entire assembly .is .held together'by nails at the' corners of the frame similar. to the nail .10 illustrated mmgpz and his usually necessary to use severalnailsin each corner and to gluethe tered surfaces if'a rigid frame is desired. v

. In the present structure one nail at each corner is entirely sufficient and even thatmay be dispensed with if desired as the picture, backing. 8,

to the exposed surface of the frame, thereby pre- I venting racking of the frame and rigidly holding all of the parts, including the mitered or beveled corners of the molding, in place.

As previously stated, it is a particular object of the invention to provide a device which may be assembled more or less completely by automatic machinery, and in assembling the structure disclosed herein, it is only necessary to secure the 'side pieces together to form a frame either by clamping them together or securing the corners by nails as described, and the glass 6, the picture "'7, andthe backing 8 may then be laid in position and theframe may be passed through a stapling machine whereby the staples 9 are quickly and accurately driven into position ,to, secure all of the parts together. Staples, such as disclosedin the drawing, are preferable for securing the picture backing. However, other types of suitable fasteners may be used if desired.

The assembled device may then r be passed through agluing machine whereby the entire back surface including the picture backing Band the exposed back surface of the molding will receive a coating of glue, and the paper sheet 11 may then be applied snugly over the entire surface;

then be applied to the back of the structure.

In thepast it has been common,.-practice to apply glue to the exposed back surface of the frame, which surface was considerably higher than the usual picture backing in order to pro-,

vide room for the retaining nails org-brads. The

glue wasapplied around the surface of the framev by hand, andthe sheet was then applied thereto. However, this slowand uncertain method causes more or less glue tobe applied to, or run down on, the side of the molding andit is therefore necessary to clean {each frame after the paper isapplied." Also, if the frames are then stacked in a pile, it is necessary that this should be done'care-.

fully and accurately in order to prevent tearing or puncturing the unsupported paper backing.

, In the manufacture of picture. frame structures, the most common methodinuse' at the present time employs brads or nails which are drivenjinto the side .of the frame molding and overlapping the picture backing to prevent the glass and picture and backing from falling out of the framehand hammer, and, excepting in cases where the However if desirechthe paper or fabric. sheet ll may first receive a coating of glue and These nailsare driven in witha.

operator :is thoroughly. experienced, this operation is extremely slow. Also, the nails are driven.

at various angles and therefore do not provide uniform support to all sections of the glass in-. side the frame. gThere is,.therefore,considerable breakage of glass because of uneven pressure ofthe nails, when the hand. tacking compresses the, glass and picture backing againstythe frame molding.

In ,the instant inventionthe on the glass is uniform through out and breakage is sub} stantially completely.- eliminated. Also, in previe ous methods of manufacturingand assembling, substantiallythe entire structure is heldtogetlier b pthe nails inthe mitered endsofthe frame. molding; Such structures have a-natural tendency to warp. With the method disclosed herein, the picture backing 8, whichis secured to the frame molding by means of staples 9, becomes substantially an integral part of the entire structure, and this, together with the fabric backing 11, which is secured over its entire surface to the picture backing and frame, acts as an eflicient warp preventive.

In some cases it is desirable to manufacture round, oval or other shaped frames in which the molding is made up of any desired number of parts, and in which it maybe difi'icult to nail the ends of the molding together. This invention is well adapted for such structures in that the pieces of molding will be rigidly held together to form a frame whether the ends of the molding are secured together or not. It is also sometimes desired to make frames, particularly round or oval ones, in which the entire frame is carved from an integral unit. In such cases the recesses may be formed on a suitable carving or rabbeting machine, or by hand as desired.

As a result of the savings which are effected by the present invention, it is possible to increase the size of the complete unit without adding to the cost of manufacture, which additional cost was necessary under previous methods. This saving materially increases the dealer and consumer interest as the net result is a general saving in the cost of the same size item over the previous method of manufacturing, and these savings may be passed on to the dealer and through him to the ultimate consumer.

Modifications may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore, desired that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A rigid, unitary, framed structure of the character described comprising associated moldings positioned to form a frame, each molding having a stepped recess forming two grooves in its inner back edge, a'display object in the first groove adjacent the edge and having its back surface substantially flush with the floor of the second groove, a backing member in intimate contact with and overlapping said display object and attached to the floor of the second groove and having its back surface substantially flush with the back surface of said molding, and securing means for said backing member comprising staples substantially flush with the back surface thereof and extending through said backing member and into the floor of said second step.

2. A rigid, unitary, framed structure of the character described comprising associated moldings positioned to form a frame, each molding having a stepped recess forming two grooves in its inner back edge, a display object in the first groove adjacent the edge and having its back surface substantially flush with the floor the fioor of said second step and pressed into said board to provide a substantially fiat back, and a fabric sheet cemented to the exposed back. surface of said molding and to a substantial portion of the surface of said backing member.

3. A picture frame structure of the character described comprising a surrounding molding having a stepped recess around its inner edge, said recess forming a first groove adjacent the edge to receive a glass and picture, the back of said picture being substantially flush with the floor of said second step, and a second groove extending outwardly beyond said first step to receive a picture backing substantially flush with the back surface of said molding, spaced staples securing said picture backing to the floor of said second groove to provide a substantially rigid groove, a backing member supported in said second groove, spaced staples extending through said backing member and into the floor of said second groove beyond the edge of said display object to retain all of the parts assembled in a substantially rigid structure, and a relatively thin fabric glued to the exposed surface of the side pieces and to the adjacent surface of the backing member.

5. A picture frame structure of the character described comprising comparatively thin moldings positioned to form a frame, said frame having an inner groove and an outer groove, a glass in said inner groove, a picture in said inner groove and substantially the same size as said glass and in surface contact therewith, said glass and said picture completely filling said groove, a picture backing board in surface con-. tact with said picture and extendingbeyond the edge thereof to completely fill said second groove, securing means for said board comprising staplelike fasteners securing said board to the floor of said second groove to provide a rigid structure having a substantially smooth and fiat back surface, and a fabric glued over the entire back sur- 35 face of the structure.

ROBERT STERN.

GERTJEIGATEUOF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,971; 923. August. 2s, 1934.

ROBERT STERN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered pat-m requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 56, for "low" read lower; page 3, line 76, claim 2, after "cellulosic" insert backing; and line 85, strike out the comma after "back"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the'same may conform to the. record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of September, A. D. 1934.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

